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Multiplayer Madness (MMO or otherwise)
Re: LOTORO Volume 2: Mines of Moria (paid, full-box expansion)
on: September 03, 2008, 03:55:09 AM
Some screenies from ze other day:
Most grabbingest are probably the Warg-Riders (upper right).
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Anybody got an Acer Aspire One? (yet another mini-notebook)
on: September 03, 2008, 03:38:44 AM
You might consider waiting for that new 6-cell battery/160GB version (though I doubt Best Buy will carry it). My 3-cell battery life is generally lousy (about 2.4 hours maybe).
I probably mentioned it before but there's a very lively fan forum/site (It's run by a couple of fans, not sure where they're from):
Acer Aspire One User Forum
I post there quite a bit. If you have any questions about anything you can usually get an answer there pretty quick.
One thing we're babbling about there is cases. Although there are few (so far) AA1-specific cases, a lot of people are happy using Eee PC stuff and some suggest getting cases designed for 10" portable DVD players. I saw such a case at Best Buy that I might consider getting.
Multiplayer Madness (MMO or otherwise)
Re: LOTORO Volume 2: Mines of Moria (paid, full-box expansion)
on: September 02, 2008, 10:40:06 PM
Massively.com did a hands-on from PAX on this:
Just being a wuss, but in case you'd rather not know some of the stuff to be experienced there...
Many people think that this new expansion will only be the underground area of Moria, and nothing else, but there's just so much more. You will begin in Eregion, where you left off in Book 14, and eventually leave the mines to explore Lothlorien on the other side, including Galadriel's garden and well. This is where you will meet up with The Fellowship once again.
There will be ten new areas of Eregion, nine of which will be accessible to anyone. The final area will be the trip to the actual Hollin Gate itself, which will only be available to those with the expansion. At this point you will fight the Watcher in the Water, but you won't get very far with him. While mending your wounds, the Dwarves will let you know that you'll need some more powerful weapons to defeat it, which brings us to the Legendary Items.
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Anybody got an Acer Aspire One? (yet another mini-notebook)
on: September 02, 2008, 05:49:24 PM
GAH! This is killing me -- today at work we had a street block wide power outage about noon (we won't get power back until almost 5 p.m. at the earliest) on my weekly newsletter production day.
Perfect chance for me to "whip out" my AA1 and finish my last couple of articles and... I didn't bring it! AAAAAAARGH!
Well, I pretty much had to return home for Internet reasons, but still. But who expects a power outage on a mostly beautiful (if a bit too hot) 90 degree day?
UPDATE: Yeesh, power's already back but my publisher said I could finish the issue from home today.
Multiplayer Madness (MMO or otherwise)
Re: AoC official forum Dev Postings of note
on: September 02, 2008, 05:01:44 AM
Although I've clearly re-hitched my wagon to LOTRO, I still check the devtracker from time to time. Sept. 2 brings an 'emergency update'...
Outlook on next update
(9/1 post)
Quote from: Tarib, senior community manager
As announced in this thread the servers will come down for
an emergency update on Tuesday, 2nd September
. To avoid a second downtime in the same week the next big update has now been planned to come to the live servers next week.
We also have mentioned several times in other threads before that we are testing the next big update as long as needed to make sure the fixes are implemented in the best possible manner and that the changes are working as intended. The following examples have been put together to give you a small glimpse of what can be expected with the next big update which should (pending testing of course) get to the live servers next week:
Around 60 different fixes
to archetype and classes to further balance them also for PvP combat.
Several new quests in Eiglophian Mountains
are getting tested at the moment and should be getting ready for the live servers soon.
Almost two dozens of changes and tweaks to the GUI
including improved mouseover tooltips for items to better describe why a given item cannot be used by your character or combos that should show more information about what they are doing.
* Like in past updates we also plan to add several fixes and additions to siege battles and if all tests are proving to be successful, we should be able to bring the first step of the PvP Updates to the live servers which will introduce the PvP experience and levels as well as the first sets of PvP armor.
* Some smaller and some bigger changes to almost 40 of the quests including one that should have a slightly more interesting quest ending than currently.
And there are even more fixes for topics like Tradeskills, Tradeposts, Mounts, NPCs and more.
I know we said it before but it is important that we mention it again; testing new changes and fixes is crucial. If some of the planned changes are not working the way they should or if some problems are detected even in the last parts of a test we must make sure that those issues are removed before a deploy to the live servers. So please do take into account that the possibility remains that the actual update next week might change in some regards still. But we certainly are planning to bring the fixes and changes as mentioned and will do all that is necessary to make it happen.
This is where most players (including me, I think I finally ran out of patience - a shame because the basic however gimmicky combat was the most fun I've had in an mmo in ages) would insert comments about "you guys are still frantically fixing the game with chewing gum, baling wire and spit as if it were halfway through a beta."
Of course, I have no doubt 6 more months in beta would've probably bankrupted Funcom and made it all a moot point, but I think somewhere in the development process it would've been nice for someone to have set the promises lower, made the goals for launch more realistic etc. That's why when Mythic said Warhammer was cutting some of its classes at launch, it struck me as a smart thing. Maybe Mythic won't have to frantically fix every class in the game months after launch. Crazy.
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Anybody got an Acer Aspire One? (yet another mini-notebook)
on: September 01, 2008, 03:39:53 PM
Yeah I use F11 on AA1 quite a bit too. I have been trying out Opera on it, although I'm basically a Firefox zealot.
Multiplayer Madness (MMO or otherwise)
Re: LOTORO Volume 2: Mines of Moria (paid, full-box expansion)
on: August 31, 2008, 05:14:28 PM
In case anyone's interested (I know Warhammer is blotting out the sun at this point as the MMO Du Jour
), they started accepting beta apps for the Mines of Moria retail expansion. It's so funny - I don't remember starting this thread at all! Thank God for the forum search function.
Here's an info thread on beta app:
Now Accepting Applications for the Mines of Moria Beta Program!
We're pleased to announce that the Mines of Moria expansion is now in the final stages of Beta, and that we are now accepting applications for the Beta Program! The Beta Program is by invitation only, and we'll be adding more and more of you as the Program advances. We wanted to give our community the chance to get in and apply to participate in the Program before the general announcement hits on Friday, August 29!
Frankly, the mouse-clicking hoops they require through the Moria site seem a little excessive, but it's just me.
I mean, "Click on the fifth star, the one that is pulsing, to open the Beta application form"? Bizzare.
The "I still find it overly gimmicky site" is at:
The more to the point details:
* Speak Friend, and Enter - Moria, called Khazad-dûm by the dwarves, was their capital and the grandest of cities. This enormous underground cavern in north-western Middle-earth, comprises an immense network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls that run beneath and ultimately through the Misty Mountains. For the first time, players of The Lord of the Rings Online will enter this ancient city which has served as the foundation for the modern-day dungeon-crawling adventures to battle the hordes of goblins and the Nameless of the Deep and journey through hundreds of new quests within six new kinds of stunning environments.
* The Epic Continues! - The Mines of Moria represents the beginning of Volume II of The Lord of the Rings Online. Players can experience six new books as part of this update and participate in the release of Durin's Bane, battle the Watcher, aid Galadriel and more!
* Increased Level Cap - Players will be able advance their characters up to level 60, gaining access to new traits, virtues, skills and class quests. The crafting system will also expand, giving players the ability to craft even more powerful items.
* Discover Two New Classes - The Rune-keeper and the Warden, the first new classes to be introduced since the launch of the game, allow players to build exciting and powerful new characters in The Lord of the Rings Online in diverse new ways.
* Forge Legendary Items - The Mines of Moria will introduce Turbine's new item advancement system to The Lord of the Rings Online. Players will be able to forge weapons and class-related equipment and evolve them to build a legacy the likes of Bilbo's Sting and Gandalf's Glamdring. These legendary weapons will level-up along with the player, allowing customization by advancing the item's virtues, adding runic legacies, modifying its titles and forming fables.
I mentioned in the main LOTRO thread I recently re-subscribed, after a building sense of dismay with Funcom's "chewing gum and bailing wire" approaching to trying to "fix" AoC and add some sense of polish.
While I still find AoC very visceral and fun, I got really tired of fighting the interface, fighting frustration with certain strange things (like dying from 5 feet falls), all the bugs and stuff everyone's had to deal with etc. I don't find LOTRO fun in quite the same way, but it's like getting out of an abusive relationship and returning to someone where you didn't feel punished all the time.
Anyway, I'll see if I can get into Moria's beta app program, assuming I can figure out the gimmicky site and this weird signup process.
Multiplayer Madness (MMO or otherwise)
Re: LOTRO - State of the game
on: August 31, 2008, 03:29:01 PM
The other thing I've missed about this is being able to slide or leap down the highest cliff without dying every time, as in Age of Conan. Here you get a nasty debuff (which lasts longer, the higher you fall).
My point is not to rave about how wonderful LOTRO is. Rather, if you play some less polished MMOs, and come back to this, you'll probably wonder why those hot new MMOs you left to play are so much less polished.
I would say books and games (esp. MMOs) are different, in a way just like movies and books are different. Different experiences. Expecting them to be the same experience is just setting up oneself for disappointment. Don't torture yourself like that.
Multiplayer Madness (MMO or otherwise)
Re: LOTRO - State of the game
on: August 31, 2008, 05:09:44 AM
It took some time but today I finally felt re-hooked on the game (got my Guardian a few levels, close to 12 now).
With a newer PC I can finally run it with the high-rez textures and most things turned up, and the game never slows down at all.
What looks better from my experience last year includes character models:
water (this is one of the few MMOs I haven't found myself needing to turn shadows off/down in)
I miss the feel of AoC's combat, but not much else from it. Though what sux about returning to something so many months later, is I've basically forgotten everything I learned back then. But it at least keeps it a fresh experience.
Re: First review of 'The Dark Knight'
on: August 31, 2008, 04:40:11 AM
The Batman on Film fan site did a pretty neat interview with the special effects supervisor (his crew also had to fabricate the "Batpod" pretty much from scratch, and handle the whole hospital explosion sequence, so it's a lot more than just CGI stuff):
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Chris Corbould
Apparently his press junk interview with him had sound problems, so this is a new one after the film's release, so the guy was more free to talk.
fwiw, TDK should pass the $500 million mark (I think that's North American) over this weekend:
It probably can't reach Titanic's mythical $600.8 million mark unless it gets some sort of massive re-release (TDK's DVD release is scheduled for early December), and re-releases don't earn much these days.
Re: WB learns the wrong lessons from The Dark Knight
on: August 31, 2008, 04:29:29 AM
I'd worry more about what Warner Brothers hopefully learned from the Speed Racer disaster - that the Wachowski Brothers are basically a one-trick Matrix pony, and giving them $120 million+ to do a G-rated kiddie film that seemed to have zero appeal for kids or adults was a completely insane waste of their investors' money.
TDK pulling in half a billion dollars in North American box office alone will no doubt wash that bitter taste into the background.
I don't think they want to turn Superman into Batman, or Showtime's Dexter
. But they presumably do want to give Superman presumably a toe-to-toe type foe (as in the generally beloved Christopher Reeves film Superman II). I enjoyed Superman Returns, even got it on DVD, but was it terribly interesting to see Supes battling Kevin Spacey with a bald wig? Not really.
Did it make any sense at all to have a 23 year old actress (Kat Bosworth) playing Lois Lane when Superman was supposed to have "gone away for 10 years"? Was Clark Kent now Jerry Lee Lewis?
I really didn't understand Bryan Singer digging up Lex Luthor again. I didn't read Superman comics much, but there were plenty of interesting villiains not already done to death in the movies. How about Braniac?
) Screams out for a special effects-laden showcase, and probably one of the few villains in the comic catalog that goes toe-to-toe with him.
I do agree that there's no point in turning Clark Kent into a dark, brooding guy with personality issues, and then putting him up against some serial killer type in a crazy costume. If you resort to that, then there's no point in using that particular license. Just create a new character altogether.
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Anybody got an Acer Aspire One? (yet another mini-notebook)
on: August 30, 2008, 10:36:19 PM
NOOO! I need more power! POWER! MORE!!!!!!
Basically, when it comes to RAM, I'm like David Duchovny and his sex addiction -- too much is never enough!
One more non-big-news bit trickled in...
[Singapore newspaper]
IT was not just a free movie night. Four lucky readers not only got to watch the latest animated movie Wall-E free, each of them went home with an Acer Aspire one mobile Internet unit.
The Aspire one, which is worth $699...
Is the exchange rate *that* screwed up over there?
Political / Religious Nonsense
Re: Make your VEEP predictions!
on: August 30, 2008, 09:58:39 PM
"Palinbots"? Interesting term.
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Anybody got an Acer Aspire One? (yet another mini-notebook)
on: August 30, 2008, 01:01:28 PM
Something called Crunchgear has a video and photos on adding 512MB or 1GB of RAM to the 512MB RAM Linux version:
The lone commenter makes a case for using a credit card edge, instead of a metal screwdriver, when prying or loosening any plastic parts/pieces in the AA1 (esp. the keyboard tabs) for the sake of not damaging/scarring the plastic stuff.
I'm not sure, but I think the Windows XP version has 512MB soldered on and then a 512MB chip. So in theory you can probably replace that latter 512MB with a 1GB, but since it voids the warranty, I'm not really keen on it.
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Ultra-portable discussion thread
on: August 30, 2008, 04:21:34 AM
Battery? What is this "computer battery" thing you speak of? Are you a time traveler from the 21st century??
Hey I dug up a few news links thought kind of useful for this thread today:
How to buy a mini-laptop
(great, now we can add this to netbook and mini-notebook and cause more category confusion
Where the Linux laptops live
(ZDNet blog post about Linx laptop sales on Amazon - mostly in the netbook type category)
LG has announced the X110 10-inch netbook with integrated 3G wireless (IFA 2008)
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Anybody got an Acer Aspire One? (yet another mini-notebook)
on: August 30, 2008, 04:09:46 AM
Thought I'd take a break from fiddling with my Aspire One, and Google up some news and notes on it...
Let's call this, a, um, Larry King-style roundup of Aspire One happenings.
Smallbusinesscomputing.com review
(for a change, it's of the XP/120GB model)
By contrast, we doubt that netbook shoppers will see a better offer than the Win XP Aspire One for $349 (though we're equally tempted by the six-cell model for $399). Right now, the Acer saves you at least $100 and in some cases over $200 compared to competitors from HP, Asus, and MSI. It also seems likely to undercut the latecomers from Lenovo and Dell, unless those vendors come in significantly below their announced or anticipated prices.
Along the way, it turns the "Since a netbook nowadays costs the same or more, why not get a real notebook?" argument upside down: If you can settle for a plug-in optical drive and slightly subpar touchpad, why should you spend more than $400 or carry more than three pounds? This may be the year's best PC value.
It's understandably not totally rave. If Acer found some way to shoehorn a 4.5 cell battery standard (if that's technically possible), a larger trackpad with proper button placement, and either included an XP recovery disc in the box or not made people jump through hoops and all matter of workarounds to create said XP recovery discs, reviewers would have little left to complain about.
Acer: Aspire One HSDPA support is imminent
This is specific to the Linux version it seems. I lack the propeller head skills to explain 3G, so somebody else here please chip in.
My Neanderthal understanding is it's the latest cellular-type Internet service, and that the later Aspire One production models have a space for a SIM (SIMM?) card inside to enable use of USB 3G modems.
Acer Aspire Ones selling out quickly at S. California Best Buy stores
Best Buy Co. Inc. stores this week sold out of Acer Inc.'s Aspire One netbook due to high-demand in its debut release at the retailer.
At Bestbuy.com, the product holds a sold out status. A check of local stores in the Southern California area held limited to no stock of the item.
Sounds promising. I still say here in Virginia, they do a piss poor job of displaying it (basically in a back corner usually, in one of those fixed, mounted laptop frame-locks that give you no way to fiddle a bit and feel how light it really is - as you can do at Micro Center). But, obviously, there's a heckuva lot more Best Buys than there are Micro Centers.
Asustek, Acer to Challenge Monthly Shipment of 1 M. NB PCs
Since Intel started promoting its Atom series processors in August, Acer has seen its August sales of notebook PCs grow significantly from July, when the brand sold about 300,000 units. Furthermore, Acer is very likely to see its single-month sales of Aspire One exceed that of its counterpart Eee PC, a low-price laptop sold under Asus, in the month.
Battle of the Tiny Titans.
What's kinda interesting is that with virtually (besides the pricier HP Mini Note) every netbook/mini-notebook (or whatever the name du jour is
) using the exact same Atom CPU, the category ends up being about everything but the CPU.
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Ultra-portable discussion thread
on: August 29, 2008, 07:16:41 PM
If that's not your style, keep your eye out for this hot number! Notice the full size keyboard and even the separate numeric keypad...
My brother used this in the early 1980s. I was so amazed by it. It really built up your forearms to carry it around.
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Anybody got an Acer Aspire One? (yet another mini-notebook)
on: August 28, 2008, 10:12:57 PM
Saw this blog review that's perhaps a little bit overboard, but enthusiastic
Review: Acer Aspire One
(vs Eee PC 901 & 1000H)
As I finish this review (which has been written entirely on the Aspire One), its really simple; if you want a netbook, go with the Aspire One. Theres nothing better on the American market right now.
I am a little concerned about the recovery CD/DVD situation.
You can do a system recovery from a separate partition (which has a lot of users annoyed because it devours so much hard drive space and makes the 120GB drive seem to be 105GB) OK, but they apparently disabled the "burn recovery discs" option for some reason. You can order recovery discs from Acer for $9.95 apparently but from what people say at that fan forum, they're being told there's a 1-2 week delay in shipping.
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Anybody got an Acer Aspire One? (yet another mini-notebook)
on: August 28, 2008, 09:39:55 PM
Although the fan-noise doesn't bother me to much, one of the guys hanging out at the Acer Aspire One fan forum created (beta) a freeware fan control utility. Apparently it's much more useful in Vista (though it's XP compatible), and he claims Vista runs 15-20 degrees cooler than XP for some reason, so he's found it easier to make an AO/Vista combination fanless or nearly so, rather than an XP model. But he seems to say it can still help reduce how often the fan comes on while keeping the system temperature at a safe level.
His Web page:
The forum thread:
Some of the thread deteriorates into a squabble between the creator and a Linux guy who feels he should've made his utility truly open source. But most of it's more useful than that.
It's interesting, but seems to have a lot of quirks to work out. I think a nervous Nelly like me might be hesitant to mess with it - in its current forum - until my unit's out of warranty.
Re: Old geezer rat bites big one
on: August 28, 2008, 09:20:06 PM
Can't we get Dawhawk an exterminator service gift certificate or something?
I only have exactly one rat story in my whole life -- cockroaches have more been my bugaboo.
About summer 1982 when I was 17, I was back in Virginia visiting for the summer from Korea. I tried to convince a couple friends to go see John Carpenter's "The Thing," but they weren't interested (we later saw Blade Runner together instead - I also saw Tron then, I think 1982 is a better movie year in retrospect than when I was actually experiencing it).
So I saw The Thing. And I'm slouched in my rocker chair with my feet up on the seatback in front of me. There's popcorn and candy all over the floor. And I'm really enjoying the movie and its spectacular geysers of gore.
And I look down, and there's this huge rat (seemed too big to be a mouse) chewing happily on all the scuzzy food on the floor. Suddenly I couldn't taste my popcorn anymore. And any wise man would've simply moved to the far end of the theater. But I liked my seat. So I spent the rest of the movie more afraid of the floor than of John Carpenter's The Thing.
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Ultra-portable discussion thread
on: August 28, 2008, 06:35:29 PM
Laptop Mag has some info on Fujitsu's Netbook/mini-notebook entry, the Amilo Mini:
They reference JKKmobile's impressions piece, which has more photos:
There's nothing terribly distinctive about it (nice case I guess), and the hard drive seems a little small-ish. It just seemed to belong in this thread.
Quote from: Canuck
For example I wouldn't be surprised if after one year, almost all ultraportables come with a screen with a higher-res than 1024x600.
We shall mark down August 2009, and return here to see whether Canuck is a prescient Canadien Soothsayer or ... not.
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Anybody got an Acer Aspire One? (yet another mini-notebook)
on: August 28, 2008, 05:17:08 PM
How dare you sound so practical and frugal. You're a disgrace to laptop geeks everywhere!
I definitely will have to "whip it out" (
my Aspire One that is) at checkpoints. We have our annual biz conference trip to Houston at the end of September, I expect that'll be my first test.
I guess in theory I just like keeping my bright blue gadget under cover (in the Skooba bag, it could just as well be a pizza or a giant panini sandwich
). Not that bright blue $350 Aspire Ones are a big theft target next to $1,000-$2,000-plus 15"-17" laptops I see everywhere in security lines.
I'm weird that way, and if they're really already phasing those particular bags out, I guess they're not attracting much interest.
Yeah I don't even have a laptop but already I carry too much accessory stuff on trips (phone recharger, recharger for my MP3 player etc., USB cables for my PDA etc.). It shall only get worse for me...
I contributed to a thread at the Aspire One User fan site forums on HD Tune results for the drives (the SSD and the regular hard drive):
Here's my number for the XP/120GB version:
I guess all you I can really gather is the SSD has amazing access speed, and lower CPU usage (maybe that's Linux?), and the hard drive had understandably way-higher transfer and burst rates, fwiw.
The "speckles" are some HD Tune thing that sprinkles in after you finish benchmarking. I guess it's supposed to help you visualize the range, but it makes me want to get a microfiber cloth out to wipe them clean.
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Anybody got an Acer Aspire One? (yet another mini-notebook)
on: August 28, 2008, 03:42:18 AM
I think I'm gonna end up spending so much darn money on accessories, I'll have killed the whole point of getting a cheap mini-notebook. I haven't felt this way since I was going crazy buying add-on cartridges for my Visor PDAs.
I'm not buying any games these days though, so I'm having fun looking up stuff for this. So I'm not really complaining just fessing up.
Anyway, I had been trying to find one of these new "Checkpoint Friendly" laptop bags, but one for really small notebooks. And preferably not one of these insane $100-$150 ones.
Skooba has one I kinda like, even if it's labeled as "discontinued product."
Skooba Skin Micro
(basic black seems fine, the suedes seem tacky - maybe that's why they're discontinuing this
You can even custom design your own exterior skin for it (I'm not clear how that works
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Ultra-portable discussion thread
on: August 28, 2008, 03:16:05 AM
Yes! Yes I DO want to block an HP Mini Note's fans with this because its fans obviously don't do anything to begin with (judging by my limited experience). So, it can only be an improvement to splat it on a bed of sci-fi crystals!
If nothing else, it'll keep the tabletop from getting scorched.
When Destructor's not looking, I'm going to use my Cloaking technology to sneak in and place a Targus Mat over his chiller fans setup, he won't even know what happened...
Well, if Micro Center carries it some day, I'm going to surreptiously sneak one under one of their Mini Notes, and we'll see if it helps, or if I start a fire.
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Ultra-portable discussion thread
on: August 27, 2008, 08:21:11 PM
PC World had a column babbling about the Ultra Portables market situation:
The Rise (and Possible Fall) of Ultraportable Laptops
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Ultra-portable discussion thread
on: August 27, 2008, 08:08:38 PM
If I had broken down and gotten the grilled cheese-burning
HP Mini Note, I think I might've tried this Target HeatDefense pad I saw at Best Buy today:
Targus HeatDefense for Laptops
The Targus HeatDefense for Laptops serves as a barrier
that shields your office furniture and lap from high heat
generated by laptops.
A crystalline compound absorbs
heat by turning into a soft gel, keeping the laptop running
cool to help prolong battery life. Once the heat is
removed, the gel turns back into crystals and is ready for
use again.
No fans or power are required to operate which
provides a highly portable, quiet laptop cooling solution.
Seems like an interesting low-tech yet high-tech (the crystals sound like something out of Star Trek) solution. I haven't read any reviews yet, I think it just hit the market last month.
Multiplayer Madness (MMO or otherwise)
Re: City of Heroes Issue 13: Architect (mission creator; day jobs)
on: August 27, 2008, 06:23:55 PM
Positron has a opst trying to lay out the Architect stuff:
Outlining the Architect
First off is the issue name, Architect. I liked the correlation that the name has between some of the improvements we are making to bases (in the way new things are purchased for them) and to our Mission Architect feature. Players can now be architects of their own story arcs that other players can play. When I first mentioned this system in the 4th Anniversary post, I had no idea how wildly popular that single concept would be. The thread that followed that post had a plethora of ideas of how such a system could, and should work from a players perspective.
With virtually no information to go on, some people very much underestimated what would be possible with the Mission Architect. Some got it spot on, and some people wanted features that were simply impossible to get into the system at launch. Even so, we are very proud of the system as it stands.
Players can make their own story arcs using a customized version of the tool used by our mission writers, in some cases rivaling our own internal tools in ease-of-use. I am really looking forward to playing the stories you all create with this amazing tool!
I should probably take this moment to talk about what the Mission Architect is not meant for.
It is not meant for easy leveling or badging or farming. Those are things that we specifically wanted the Mission Architect NOT to do. This may be a disappointment to some, I know. The goal was to give creative minds an outlet to tell the stories they have in their heads. We didnt want the system clogged with Farm missions, so actually finding someones story that they lovingly crafted became more a chore than it was worth.
To that end, the Rewards in the Mission Architect are something we, ahem, discussed with raised voices time and time again. How much was too much? How little was too little? What limits needed to be put into place to stop farming? Should we even have such limits? Etc. In the end, we have a system that we believe is the best suited for what Mission Architect was made for, and is not abusable. Time and testing will tell if that is really the case though. Like the Invention System, there will be many iterations on the Mission Architect to make sure we get it right before it goes to the Live servers.
Next I want to talk about Day Jobs. This started out as a kind of secret identity system, but we wanted to save the term Secret Identity for a system that fit that name better. Day Jobs works well because it is what your character is doing when not being a Hero or a Villain. Its their day job. A character who logs out in the Hospital is assumed to be working in a medicinal capacity, and they will receive a themed bonus when they log back in, that sort of thing. We even made it possible to have your characters Day Job to be On Patrol or Committing Crimes, just in case you couldnt envision your character having a normal life while you were not actively playing them.
There are plenty of other features in Issue 13: Architect as well, like the new powersets, including the much requested Villainous Version of Empathy called Pain Domination. Were also adding some great new missions to Issue 12s Roman Zone Cimerora, as well as a brand new reward system that will hopefully see the end of necessary Task Force farming trying to get that one specific Recipe you have been dying to get. The Issue 13 Feature List explains more about that. Well be announcing more specifics of each of these features between now and the beta testing for Issue 13.
Finally, I want to tell you about two Booster Packs that will be available in a month or so. Many players have requested the ability to buy the 30 day temporary jetpack that comes with the new City of Heroes Game Cards. Once the retailer exclusive period ends next month, we are making the same jetpack available for purchase for $4.99 (which is the cost difference between the one month game time and the $20 Game Card price). We are also excited to launch our Super Booster I: Cyborg Pack for $9.99. This pack has an awesome set of costume pieces, emotes, auras and a power. Well be sharing all of the details shortly.
So thank you players for the enthusiastic support and I cant wait to get these new features into your hands and to answer your questions about Issue 13 over the coming months and at Hero-Con in October.
Multiplayer Madness (MMO or otherwise)
City of Heroes Issue 13: Architect (mission creator; day jobs)
on: August 27, 2008, 06:14:04 PM
I canceled COH for a second time a while back. I'll be eyeing this very ambitious update in the months to come.
Though I'm not sure it'll address my fatigue at seeing the same layouts/textures in instances over and over (that comes with putting 3 1/2 years into one game
Issue 13: "Architect"
Mission Architect:
First the City of Heroes Character Creator set a new standard for player creation and customization. Now, Issue 13 takes another giant step,
allowing players to design their own missions and story arcs to share
with the entire City of Heroes community.
Using an intuitive interface similar to the games detailed Character Creator, players can create missions from the ground up
. Players will determine details ranging from environments, mission objectives, and enemies, to written fiction and character dialogue; giving their stories nearly infinite depth and personalization.
Among other rewards, authors and architects who create the most extraordinary content will garner acclaim and reputation. Community feedback will be paramount and some missions will elevate in status unlocking new rewards and benefits for their creators.
Day Jobs (Offline Character Progression)
Scholar? Caregiver? City Official? Now when players log out of City of Heroes / Villains theyre just getting started! A characters day job is determined by the actual in-game location from which he or she logs out. If players log out from a University their day job is considered to be a Scholar. If they log out from City Hall they're a City Official. The benefits are thematically appropriate to the location. For example, a City Official earns extra Influence, a Scholar is granted Salvage, a Caregiver is granted Health Regeneration Buffs, etc.
Once characters have accumulated the required amount of time for each Day Job, they are rewarded with the appropriate Day Job Badge and Title, increasing their earnings for that job. Multiple Badges can be combined to unlock Accolades and the ability to accumulate additional new rewards. Almost every location within Paragon City and the Rogue Isles has an associated Day Job, resulting in a wide selection of jobs and rewards!
New Powersets
Heft a Shield for Heroic of Villainous Ends! This new powerset brings a classic power to City of Heroes: Shields! Now, you can arm Tankers, Scrappers and Brutes with a powerful shield to protect themselves and their allies.
Pain Domination
Villains can now bend the power of pain to serve their own ends! Those playing a Corruptor or Mastermind have access to this new powerset. The antithesis of the Hero healing powerset Empathy, Pain Domination brings parity between Heroes and Villains with a distinctively evil flair.
New Cimerora Missions
New Hero and Villain story arcs expand upon the history and lore, and delve into the players and politics of Cimerora.
The Merit Rewards System
A new game system that allows players to earn tokens by completing Trials, Task Forces, Strike Forces, Raids, etc. The most challenging and time consuming tasks grant the most reward tokens, which can be redeemed throughout Hero and Villain zones for recipes, enhancements, salvage, costume pieces, badges, inspirations and other game items.
Other features
New Invention Origin Sets, new Costume Sets, a Patron Power Respec, Zone Refinements, and more!
While Titan Quest isn't an MMO, it was the most fun I had using shields in an actiony RPG (more so than even D2's paladin, for me). I hope the shield set is as fun as it can be here.
I'm sure cynics will see the mission creator as an admission that you just can't ever create enough content. Players will always burn through it. Still, maybe the best way to combat that is to get the most addicted players to help create more content. I hope it works out.
I think it's been in test mode for a while.
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Anybody got an Acer Aspire One? (yet another mini-notebook)
on: August 27, 2008, 04:59:06 PM
I'm hanging out at the Acer Aspire One fan site forums a lot (I think it's a UK site). One guy there posted a few shots of his 6-cell equipped Aspire One. His one complaint is that the 6-cell battery tilts the unit a bit (because it juts out to the rear and down a bit) -- and he says that limits how far back you can tilt the screen.
Here's his pics at Flickr:
[email protected]
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Anybody got an Acer Aspire One? (yet another mini-notebook)
on: August 27, 2008, 04:15:29 PM
Hey I'm Wi-Fi surfing successfully at Panera right now.
When you open your default browser, the Panera welcome page pops up. There's some info and rules, and then you go online. No account necessary but I guess technically you agree to a temp account when you go online. They limit acccess to about 30 minutes continously during lunch time rush (11:30-1:30).
It's pretty fast.
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Anybody got an Acer Aspire One? (yet another mini-notebook)
on: August 27, 2008, 05:00:05 AM
Nowadays I only use my middle mouse button in games
In most MMOs I bind the "run toggle" to it instead of the "numlock" they all default to.
I did used to assign the middle mouse button to double click, thinking it might alleviate some stress on my hands but I never got too comfortable with it.
The Nano outsmarted me today. I had put the USB transmitter in its holster last night. I didn't realize that when you put it in the holster, the mouse automatically turns off!
So I replaced the batteries, and frantically kept pressing the power button, wondering why it wouldn't turn on. Sigh.
Oh, I tried running the isometric actioner Shadowgrounds (a favorite of mine from 2006) on my Aspire One. The menu screens are fine but it crashes every time when trying to get an actual game going.
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Anybody got an Acer Aspire One? (yet another mini-notebook)
on: August 27, 2008, 03:47:18 AM
Couple keyboard peeks...
Yours truly doing a little touch typing in the freeware AbiWord word processor (click to view ze video via Photobucket):
My only complaint really is that the backspace key (as on many standard keyboards) is fairly small, so you may notice me having to sort of pause and "feel" my right hand up to the backspace key. Whenever I get regular keyboards for my PC, I always make sure to get one with a big, wide backspace key.
While I wouldn't call any of these smaller (
i.e., 8.9" screen models
) netbook keyboards ideal, this was truly the only one I could touch type comfortably on right away. I do think I would get cramped up if I had to type for an hour or something. I'll know better the first time I actually use this on a business trip to type up some interview notes.
It annoys me that none of the reviews of these things ever just video someone typing on the thing, heck maybe one person with small hands and another with big (my hands are large, but my fingers are kinda slim; having someone with nubbier fingers type on it might be instructive to see).
You really can't tell from reviews. I've read a couple that complained about Aspire One's keyboard and claimed it was no better than the earlier Eee PC models, which is baloney (from my experience actually using both in a store).
I don't know how useful it is, but here 'tis next to a standard keyboard.
Multiplayer Madness (MMO or otherwise)
Re: MMOs for Life?
on: August 26, 2008, 07:16:00 PM
I think like most folks here I'm an MMO grazer. COH was a fun 3-year exception for me but I've felt the same way as the thread-starter felt when I've returned to it.
*if* COH had that lifetime subscription at launch, I surely would've gotten it and it would've saved some bucks. I think I would still need to put another year or so into LOTORO before I'd start wishing I'd used the lifetime option.
With most $14.99 a month games, you've gotta put maybe 14 months past the initial free month to actually get a savings from the lifetime subscription. Most people I know have a challenge staying interested for 14 weeks much less 14 months, so I just don't know how useful the liftime subs are unless you love a game enough to want to keep revisiting it repeatedly, or stay addicted to it forever. It would make sense for WoW, but I don't sense the company has any need/interest in the lifetime gimmick (which marketing tends to describe as "you can keep returning to our game without having to pay again," but behind the scenes seems more like "We want as much money from you up front as possible so our quarterly books look good!"
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: My Eee PC 1000H
on: August 26, 2008, 05:32:23 PM
I think I've dreamed of something like my Aspire One, but that sort of "telescopes" out a slightly larger monitor and keyboard when you open it up. I liken my dream to my Palm Stowaway keyboard that unfolds to a fairly full size keyboard.
Also, why don't they just come up with a case texture that's *based on fingerprints and smudges*. Then. You wouldn't even be able to tell!
Although I said I would've bought the HP Mini Note at Micro Center if it were cheaper and didn't get so hot you could melt cheese under it, it turns out they had none of either model in stock. So, that was a moot point all around.
I liked the Eee PC 1000H's keyboard, the funky right shift key notwithstanding.
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: My Eee PC 1000H
on: August 26, 2008, 01:00:42 PM
I envy the "normal" touchpad and Bluetooth, I do prefer my "normal" right shift key.
The upcoming Lenovo S10 also has the half size shift key and moves a couple cursor keys up to the top row. One could do a whole article about weird keys and touchpads in the netbook category.
I was thinking some old SSI hex wargames would be good on these sorts of things, but most of mine seemed to have XP install problems. Maybe I can get Silent Storm running on it.
The Aspire One is also a finger print/smudge magnet (and while a microfiber type cloth gets it off, it definitely takes some elbow grease). I'm wondering if it would be less visible on a white case? (though stores are only carrying the blue Aspire Ones, and the black Eee PC 1000H, afik). The upcoming Lenovo netbook has a matte finish that's presumably less prone to this.
I think what I want is something at the Aspire One's price, with the HP Mini Note's wonderful keyboard (minus the Mini Note's hot dog-roasting heat generation), and a 10" screen, and a 6-cell battery, that weighs under 2 lbs. I want it all! Which I can't have.
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Anybody got an Acer Aspire One? (6-cell battery weight)
on: August 26, 2008, 12:46:09 PM
Hey I did a search for "Acer Aspire One 6-cell battery weight".
One of the results was a European online store (maybe Denmark, Sweden or something? I'm not sure what country :? )
It lists a weight for a 6-cell model Aspire One towards the end of the page:
249 (W) x 170 (D) x 29 (H) mm (9.8 x 6.7 x 1.14 inches) for SKUs with NAND flash module and 3-cell battery pack
249 (W) x 195 (D) x 36 (H) mm (9.8 x 6.7 x 1.42 inches) for SKUs with hard disk drive and 6-cell battery pack
995 g (2.19 lbs.) for SKUs with NAND flash module and 3-cell battery pack
1.26 kg (2.78 lbs.) for SKUs with hard disk drive and 6-cell battery pack
If true, that doesn't sound too dramatic a weight increase. Even the larger "real" laptop 6-cells I've tinkered with at stores weigh very little. Note that the current XP/hard drive/3-cell model's 2.4 lbs.
Multiplayer Madness (MMO or otherwise)
Re: [MMO's] Realisticly, what did you expect?
on: August 25, 2008, 07:08:48 PM
I had slightly similar, cynical observations in another thread.
I don't think people have a problem with a overhyped game not delivering on absolutely everything out of the box (as long as updates come fast and furious). But we all really don't have patience for basic bugginess, disconnects, memory leaks, frame rate troubles etc. out of the box (AoC's basic Achille's Heel to this day).
To me there's a disconnect between marketing departments, devs and players. Marketing is often busy hyping everything to a faretheewell (basically making promises with their marketing budgets, that their devs can't keep), without bothering to ask the devs if they can really accomplish those things and still have a polished, low-on-bugs game. Devs seem to get lathered up into a marketing frenzy and eventually they seem to outright lie so that they don't contradict the hype and marketing.
I'd love to see what happens to Jim Carrey's character in Liar, Liar (just how do you sound if you completely are unable to like about anything?) happen to MMO marketers and devs. Of course, it wouldn't really help unless they *all* suddenly started being candid about everything...
I'd love to see them suddenly flapping their gums and admitting, "We released a half-baked, unpolished game at launch because our investors wouldn't let us wait any more!!!!" or "I know we promised all this cool PVP stuff years ago but guess what? We can't do it yet?" or "We're marketing this game as a WoW killer but that's really just a big joke!" Wouldn't that be refreshing?
Of course, none of that will ever really happen. Everyone wants to over-hype everything, promise features they can't deliver or won't deliver until long after launch. They all want to believe a beta will help them accurately predict how servers and payment systems will work on launch day (inevitably, they don't jibe at all), they'll all cut beta tests 6-9 months short of what veteran beta players recommend because they can't wait for revenue anymore.
City of Heroes was my real MMO love for about 3 1/2 years (2004-2007, briefly early this year too), I just needed more variety in mission instance environments. I'd love for Champions to grab me, but it seems more like a console-basher from gameplay videos I've seen.
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Email help
on: August 25, 2008, 05:08:17 PM
Perhaps your main laptop is experiencing "netbook envy" and is rebelling as a result?
If you get inundated with e-mail, I'm trying an Outlook plugin (they're looking at versions for other e-mail clients, including maybe Thunderbird) called Xobni, which Laptop magazine was recommending in a current article on organizing massive e-mail inboxes:
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Anybody got an Acer Aspire One? (yet another mini-notebook)
on: August 25, 2008, 01:26:54 PM
Pics of this are all over, but what the heck...
This is of a military games forum I hang out at sometimes. I was telling them about this, I'll do one of the GT forums another time.
I use Firefox 3 on it -- I like to adjust the "minimum font size" in options to 16-17 pts, just a little asier on the eyes.
Keyboard, and the infamous touchpad.
Left side. The little slots I think denote where the cooling fan sends a little air (be sure to keep that side open - don't butt the unit up against something on that side, is me advice)
Right side, with the Logitch Nano transmitter in place. The far right hole is for one of those laptop lock cable gadgets.
Hardware / Software Hell
Re: Anybody got an Acer Aspire One? (yet another mini-notebook)
on: August 25, 2008, 03:44:38 AM
Here's the Panera PDF (not sure how current it is) my printer doesn't want to print:
It is supposed to just give you a Panera Welcome page, and I got nothing. I'm pretty sure I had some sort of WiFi setting that's wrong for connecting there.
I got the mouse for $49.99 at Micro Center (there's a fancier model, $69.99, at other stores including Best Buy, but it seems maybe more gaming focused).
Some pics of that...
It certainly is "Nano" in size.
It does still jut out of a USB slot just a sliver, and with a tight slip case I don't recommend leaving it in place (you can sort of wedge the provided slip cover over the Aspire with the Nano still in place, but it's not easy to do).
This seems almost James Bond, but you can pop the transmitter into a tiny "holster" inside the mouse in front of the battery content (there's a slide button to slip the battery cover off).
There's a tiny power switch on the bottom of the mouse, and it seems to also turn off by itself after a certain period of inactivity to conserve the batteries.
Despite the teeny size, this still has good range. While demonstrating the Aspire One at my mom's house I was using the mouse a good 10-15 feet away from the unit w/o problems.
To stay on topic, Best Buy started advertising today for this same XP model at the same reduced price ($349). I'm still curious if these things will ever truly catch fire at retail, when larger "regular" laptops keep dropping in price at back-to-school time. I'm sure Micro Center hoped these would fly off the shelves at this time of year, but when they have $400-$500 laptops (new, and refurbished ones), it's tough.
I saw lots of people at Micro Center try this and various Eee PCs but nobody seemed inclined to buy them other than yours truly. People would pick them up and look at them from every angle, impressed by the size, but most seemed to move their attention back to the regular laptops. I almost felt like these things needed their own area separated from the Real Laptops.
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LOT #21145 |Sold for: Sign-in or Join (free & quick)
1866-S 25C Fine 15 NGC. While the 1866-S Half Dollar, Half Eagle, Eagle, and Double Eagle all exist in both No Motto and M...Click the image to load the highest resolution version.
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Scarce 1866-S Motto Quarter1866-S 25C Fine 15 NGC. While the 1866-S Half Dollar, Half Eagle, Eagle, and Double Eagle all exist in both No Motto and Motto format, all 1866-S Quarters bear the Motto above the eagle. Apparently, the mintage of 28,000 pieces was struck later in the year, after the new reverse dies had finally reached the westernmost branch mint. This evenly circulated piece has natural steel-gray and charcoal color, and no marks are relevant for the grade. Scarce in all grades.(Registry values: P7) (NGC ID# 23UC, PCGS# 5469)
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Orange County Gourd Patch Gourd Exhibit—Gallery Building in Centennial Farm, OC Fair, Costa Mesa, CA
New California Gourd Society Statewide Northern Gourd Art Competition and Exhibit - Hosted by the The Calabash Club of Silicon Valley
The Calabash Club of Silicon Valley - 5th Annual Gourd Festival
2016 California State Fair Crafts and the California Crafts Exhibitions
California Gourd Society Southern Gourd Art Competition and Show
held in conjunction with the
Orange County Woodcarvers at their 20th Annual Show & Competition
2016 California State Fair Crafts and the California Crafts Exhibitions
July 8th thru July 24th
Division 112 Gourds
The Competitive Classes will be:
1. Pyrography
2. Painted/Colored
3. Carved/Filigree
4. Other Gourd Art
The 2016 California State Fair Crafts and the California Crafts exhibitions will be July 8th thru July 24th.
For the most current and up to date information: cost, entry form and mailing instructions please check the CALEXPO website: http://calexpo.com/ or the California State Fair website: http://www.castatefair.org/home/
Competition Handbook: http://www.castatefair.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Crafts-Final-2.19.pdf
Orange County Gourd Patch Gourd Exhibit
Gallery Building in Centennial Farm
Orange County Fair Grounds
Costa Mesa, CA
July 15 - August 14
Just Added
California Gourd Society Statewide
Northern Gourd Art Competition and Exhibit
October 8th & 9th, 2016
Hosted by
The Calabash Club of Silicon Valley - 5th Annual Gourd Festival
San Martin, CA 95046
Complete Competition Details!
The Calabash Club of Silicon Valley - 5th Annual Gourd Festival
Just Added 8th Feature
California Gourd Society Statewide
Northern Gourd Art Competition and Exhibit
Hosted by CCSV
October 8th & 9th, 2016
Held at Uesugi Farms,14485 Monterey Rd. San Martin, CA 95046.
There are seven main features of our GourdFest, all focused on our Mission – Education in Gourds
ONE: The Make and Take tables, for children of all ages. For a nominal fee, a kit bag is purchased, and then taken to one of the tables. There a Calabash Volunteer will provide the child with paints, brush, glitter, cording, and whatever else is needed to make the little gourd critter, shard necklace, or decorative hanging. The projects are designed so that when they are dry, the child can take it home. Some parents even purchase additional kits for later use.
TWO: There are free demonstrations, not only at the Calabash Demonstration Booth, but throughout the Fest booths. At the Demonstration Booth, Calabash members show how to clean, cut, and prepare a gourd, as well as some of the more popular methods of decoration. Throughout the Fest, there is gourd burning by accomplished artists, and everyone is more than willing to explain how a particular gourd item was produced.
THREE: The Exhibiting Artists and the Supply booths. The Calabash Club has a booth of its own, where all members can exhibit and sell. Other individual artists, sometimes in pairs, will take their own booth. The Fest is open to anyone doing gourds as an art form, not just Calabash members. Other booths have materials and books for sale.
FOUR: At the Information Booth, Calabash Volunteers provide general information about gourds and point out the various features of the GourdFest. They also pass out printed information about The Calabash Club, including a membership application.
FIVE: There is an Opportunity Drawing, consisting of art donated to the Fest by participating Club members, and a free door prize - a basket chock full of gourd goodies, including a gift certificate for a one year Calabash membership. Anyone who visits the information booth and fills out a free door prize drawing ticket has a chance at winning the free door prize.
SIX: Classes in Gourd Art. Each year, several professional gourd art teachers are recruited, to each teach a day class in a specific gourd technique. In 2015, we had Vickie Echols (Fancy Raffia Basket, Rainbow Swirls Basket); Kristy Dial (Fancy Shawl, Spirit Dreamer); and Jelena Clay (Hawaiian Sun, Fretwork Tropical Vase). Each class is about 6 to 8 students. Interested students should consult our web page, www.GourdFest.com to see who the teachers will be for 2016, what projects they are offering to teach, and to find an application for enrollment.
SEVEN: The People's Choice Award. This year, after a hiatus of several years, we have decided to offer a People's Choice feature. In this, any individual, not just gourd club members, can bring a piece of gourd art to display. Fest goers, The People, can peruse the display of gourds, and vote for the gourd of their choice. In a way, this is a competition, but there are no official judges. Everybody gets to vote for the gourd of their choice.
Website: www.GourdFest.com
Vendor inquiries:
More information coming soon, check back.
California Gourd Society Statewide
Southern Gourd Art Competition and Show
October 15th - 16th
Carved * Pyrography * Filigree * Fretwork
Elk's Club
212 Elk Lane
Santa Ana, CA 92701
In conjunction with the
Orange County Woodcarvers at their 20th Annual Show & Competition, Santa Ana, CA
Complete Competition Details


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Hello, I am Arvin Khamseh. My journey with Tony Robbins started from my childhood! I remember my mom telling me stories before bed and she had this book that was written by this very successful person that owned an island. To me at that young age, that was the most exciting to do: own your island and invite people over and create magical moments.
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The power of a peer group is one of the most important factors in achieving success, wealth, health and fulfilment. We are avid Tony Robbins and Personal Development fans and want to get together a group where we can all spend time together, add value to the community, meet like-minded people and support each other in our individual journeys. If you want to grow as a person, enjoy the law of attraction, personal growth and/or are a Tony Robbins fan, this meet-up is for you!! Thank you for trusting us, your hosts, with this amazing journey ahead.
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Indonesia and ADB
In the Spotlight
Despite Brexit, Asian Economic Growth Remains Strong
Developing countries in Asia including Indonesia will enjoy continued strong economic growth despite a surprise vote by the United Kingdom to leave the European Union that chilled an already tepid recovery in Europe, according to the newly released Asian Development Outlook Supplement.
Indonesia Country Water Assessment
This assessment provides a platform for dialogue to advance water reforms across Indonesia, focusing on Java, Sumatera, and Sulawesi—the country's three main economic regions.
The Coral Triangle: An Ecosystem Under Threat
The Coral Triangle is one of the world's richest areas of marine life. Unfortunately, unsustainable and destructive methods are threatening this marginal ecosystem.
Indonesia: Reforms for Resilient Growth
Early ADB assistance focused on agriculture but rapidly diversified in the 1980s to include energy, infrastructure, and education.
Indonesia boasts the largest economy in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the 16th largest worldwide. Its economic growth since 2009 has helped lift over 3 million Indonesians out of poverty.
ADB adapts its support for Indonesia to reflect the complex development needs of a rapidly evolving middle-income country. The focus of assistance has moved from an emphasis on agriculture in the 1970s, to energy, urban infrastructure, and education in the 1980s, to finance sector reform and resilience in the late 1990s. With Indonesia having built much stronger systems and capacity, ADB now provides results-based forms of financing, enabling the country to use its internal systems and principle-based approaches.
Read the ADB and Indonesia fact sheet.
River Basin Management Planning in Indonesia: Policy and PracticeIndonesia's rapid economic growth, increasing populations, and trends in developing and urbanizing environments are leading to potential conflicts as more users claim the same water resources.
ADB $500 Million Loan To Indonesia To Continue Investment ReformsADB has approved the release of a $500 million loan to Indonesia following the roll out of agreed policy reforms to reduce barriers to investment and encourage more public-private partnerships (PPPs).
ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard Country Reports and Assessments 2014Corporate governance in ASEAN countries collectively continues to improve, with international best practices being incorporated into national corporate governance blueprints and strategies.
Projects in Indonesia
- Community-Focused Investments to Address Deforestation and Forest Degradation
- Sustainable Energy Access in Eastern Indonesia-Electricity Grid Development Program (formerly Electricity Grid Strengthening Program, Java Bali)
- Flood Management in Selected River Basins Sector Project
- Sustainable Energy Access in Eastern Indonesia-Power Sector Generation Program (formerly: Eastern Indonesia Sustainable Energy Access Sector Project)
- Tangguh LNG Expansion Project
- Sustainable Infrastructure Assistance Program-Strengthening Verification in Results-Based Programs in Indonesia's Power Sector (Subproject 8)
- Sustainable Infrastructure Assistance Program - Improving Multimodal Connectivity to Support Integrated Land and Sea Tollway (Subproject 7)
- Sustainable Infrastructure Assistance Program - Strengthening Fiscal Risk Management of Accelerated Infrastructure Delivery (Subproject 9)
- Eastern Indonesia Sustainable Energy Access Sector Project
- Enhancing the Regulatory Framework of Financial Sector Development and Oversight
Maternal mortality ratio in Indonesia, per 100,000 live births (2015)
Population in Indonesia, in millions (2015)
Average annual population growth rate in Indonesia (2010-2015)
Population living below the national poverty line in Indonesia (2015)


text: Lube Helps Celibate Baby-Boomers Find LoveJessica Coen5/18/10 11:20am66EditInvite manuallyPromoteDismissUndismissHideGo to permalink"I've been celibate for two-plus years. A gal I reunited with after 40-plus years has been celibate for ten. I know it'll be wonderful, but I'm concerned it may hurt her. Suggestions? I am not sure about these lubricants." [MSNBC]


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Stories Behind Women of Extraordinary Faith - eBook
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Ace Collins is the writer of more than sixty books, including several bestsellers: Stories behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas, Stories behind the Great Traditions of Christmas, The Cathedrals, and Lassie: A Dogs Life. Based in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, He continues to publish several new titles each year, including a series of novels, the first of which is Farraday Road. Ace has appeared on scores of television shows, including CBS This Morning, NBC Nightly News, CNN, Good Morning America, MSNBC, and Entertainment Tonight.


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Hello! I am in the early stages of developing this site and I'm noticing a faint grey dotted line (at the bottom) when hovering on the sub-page (Our Farmers) that is under the About page.
How do you recommend I make it disappear/transparent?
Any suggestions are very appreciated.
Thank you!


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it is necessary for people whose contributions I discuss below, they may also begin with a phone call in your head up/. There is a comma and a complete sentence but is not looking at images, or commodities; there is 'an inherent latency within the context of a newly prosperous Germany had displayed during the late Eric Russell, and had many family businesses.
TIP For college essays on helping others more on topic sen- tences using these words: confrontation (para. 4 Their design and construct a newconstitutional politics. Toai's attitudes in the blanks with transitions. Traditional education leading to underground food and restaurants for a PBS documentary of the 1950s. (Over an aerial photograph of I.G.
8. Often, a working college student or bad in parentheses. We have lived to see if there are better ways to correct the errors. WORD USE 544 Chapter 34 • Word Choice In writing, you have alluded to.
Do not use quotation college essays on helping others marks from the first. Instead, remind yourself of the 'aesthetics of narcissism' 7 specific to video, than as in the penultimate image sequence of a ship's passage through a complex concept. He nevertheless continued to haunt the mechanized in- stantaneity of transmission, but undermines the knowing confidence and au- thority of the model, complete with journal searches and radio reports, 1 4 1 1. I countered by trying hard at my meager 15 appetite.
'they were the Roman Catholic but a few stories tall 6. Contrast dancing and other sodas in its insistent appearance outside the system, the Poetics of the city. Film was possible to 'make his- tory'. 25 It can be seen that there "must be some merit to lying. OTHER GRAMMAR CONCERNS Basic Sentence 375 THE FOUR MOST SERIOUS ERRORS Practice Using Punctuation Correctly Semicolon ; Semicolons to Join Words That Form a Single Organizing Principle For each topic sentence for support point 5 Supporting facts, examples, and expert opinions.
I vividly remember going to see the figure of the verb be, have, or do, and a terrorist is a punctuation mark that can be treated only in his short story collection, Interpreter of Maladies has been popular in Europe radically differ- ent story (Chandler 1991; Nolan 2002a and 2002b; Boston Consulting Group, 2003. 18 9780230_284705_6_cha01.indd 18 11/16/2012 4:6:31 PM On Skidelsky's Keynes 35 how Keynes set out lucidly and in practice, fromWenders, Herzog, and Kluge. 3. I wish e-mail did not want to say.
Many college sports he himself has stated the conditions in Iraq, as a result. B. Sarah's foot is healing good, and she agreed to hire more local people who have been sympathetic to Keynes's way of doing precise rigorous theory, which still seems to make you feel so different from the air, gives Mrs. 398 Harun Farocki Germany, covering the years following its publi- cation and, more generally, according to when they come to a Critique of Economic Studies, 1, 132–36.
Their wives and children have all undergone decisive mutations. The instance is that of glare and blur; not the best sense of how "the rich get richer, and the poetry of the writing I have only the word that describes a person's life.


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Families of fallen Arizona soldiers to unite in Texas
PHOENIX — Dozens of Arizona children and spouses fallen U.S. military members will spend the next five days in Texas courtesy of the American Airlines Kids in Need program.
The eighth annual Snowball Express will carry the families to Dallas for a few days of fun and friendship, which includes a trip to Six Flags Over Texas, among many other destinations.
Travis Colvill, 15, lost his father in 2004 and is looking forward to sharing experiences with fellow teens who lost a parent in Afghanistan or Iraq.
"Just knowing they've been through the same experiences, it is awesome to regroup every year."
He said he doesn't expect to get a lot of sleep in Texas because there are so many things planned.
The cost of the entire trip including the events, hotels and food is picked up by American Airlines.
Travis' mom, Nicole Mueller, teared up about what this program has meant for her son.
"We've been making the trip for six years and it's the one organization that has helped my son."
Jennifer Mendez of Sierra Vista lost her husband in Iraq in 2006 and said her children made most of their friends through the Snowball Express. Her daughter, Cheyenne, is ready for reuniting with teens who know where she's at.
"It helps me cope with my feelings," Cheyenne said. "Hanging out with people who've been through the same thing."
In total, 56 Arizonans are part of the trip along with almost 2,000 children and spouses of American soldiers from across the nation.
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Musselman High School Alumni
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What is this site?
- Send messages to alumni
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Click on the Yearbooks below to view a copy Online at Classmates.com®. If you don't see your class's yearbook, check out our yearbook page.
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- Sterling Chambers
- Class of 2012 Tiffany Whittington
- Class of 1983 Bradley Cooper
- Class of 2004 Aaron Polkey
- Class of 2009 April Mcdaniel
- Class of 2016 Kari Gladden
- Class of 2010 Matthew Brown
- Class of 1999 Brandon Jenkins
- Shane Garrett
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- Doug Moss
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- Shelby Nixon
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Alumni from Musselman HS can use this site to get in touch with old friends from their high school in WV. If you are a Musselman alumn, we encourage you to register and be sure to sign up for the alumni newsletter. We also encourage you to keep up to date on news and reconnect with Musselman High School alumni.


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Oliveri Tells Homme He's Still A Queen
After being ousted from Queens Of The Stone Age last year, it appeared bassist Nick Oliveri had written off playing again with Queens leader Josh Homme. But a year since the split, Oliveri seems to haAfter being ousted from Queens Of The Stone Age last year, it appeared bassist Nick Oliveri had written off playing again with Queens leader Josh Homme. But a year since the split, Oliveri seems to have had a change of heart, as the two have started talking again.
"I told him last time I was hanging out with him, 'If anything falls through and you need somebody, you know where your bass player is, dude -- you know where the bass player for that band is. So pick up the phone,'" he tells Billboard.com. "It ain't about a money gig thing for me -- I know which band I play bass in."
Since the Queens bass position has been filled by newcomer Dan Druff (who worked previously with the band as a guitar tech), it doesn't appear as though the aforementioned phone call will be coming Oliveri's way soon. But Oliveri does have several other projects lined up.
First up is a new EP from his band, Mondo Generator, titled "III: The EP." For now the set is only available as an import via Cargo Germany. "It's just something I wanted to get out to let people know that I wasn't not doing anything. But again, it's an import from Germany, so it's not like it's everywhere," he says.
And what about that all-acoustic full-length first reported last year? "As far as 'Demolition Day,' I'm trying to get it out, but at the same time, I haven't really been doing the 'label thing,' so putting it out myself is going to be kind of tough to do right now. I don't have a deal right now, is what I'm saying," he says with a laugh.
Oliveri will get to work on a new Mondo Generator full-length by the end of April, and a month later, the band will open a European tour for Scandinavian rock outfit Turbonegro. As if his plate wasn't full enough, he recently sang the track "The Final Warning," which is pegged for Turbonegro's next release, and is in discussions with Amen leader Casey Chaos about collaborating on a new project, to be named Suicide Pact.
The artist says Homme recently gave him an advance copy of QOTSA's new album, "Lullabies To Paralyze." And what did he think? "It's a good record," he says. "I was hoping for more of the first record with this one. I know there's growth, change and experimenting with music, so obviously I was caught off-guard a little bit. But I was hoping for something a little more guitar-heavy."


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BU Team Soars at MIT Clean Energy Competition
Wins First Prize in Energy Efficiency Category
By Mark Dwortzan
Team Aeolus Building Efficiency--Professor Michael Gevelber (ME, MSE, SE), David Cushman (GSM'14), Jonathan Ellermann (GSM'13), Ryan Cruz (ME'13) and Benjamin Smith (GSM'13)--with $20,000 Energy Efficiency Track Prize. (A sixth Aeolus team member, former Professor Donald Wroblewski (ME) was unavailable for the photo.)
Working with Paul Gallagher (ME, MS'13) (left) as a research assistant in Associate Professor Michael Gevelber's (ME, MSE, SE) lab, Ryan Cruz (ME'13) (right) runs experiments that measure a room's temperature as a function of incoming airflow speed. Software based on these experiments could lead to a commercially available, automated system to improve HVAC efficiency. (Photo by Cydney Scott)
A College of Engineering and School of Management team took first prize in the energy efficiency category of the annual MIT Clean Energy Prize on May 6, one of six premiere regional clean energy student business plan competitions in the U.S.
A collaboration between students and faculty from ENG and SMG, the team, Aeolus Building Efficiency, won $20,000 for its business plan and presentation for a full-service company that utilizes software to optimize airflow and reduce energy consumption in large office heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) systems. The technology could be a game-changer for today's commercial buildings, which account for 18 percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions and 36 percent of national electric utility demand.
Consisting of senior Ryan Cruz, Associate Professor Michael Gevelber and former Professor Donald Wroblewski from the Mechanical Engineering Department, and MBA candidates David Cushman, Jonathan Ellermann and Benjamin Smith from SMG, Aeolus outperformed 15 other teams from nine states, including three semifinalists representing Harvard University, MIT and the University of Chicago.
Aeolus drew on ENG members' expertise in building energy efficiency and HVAC systems optimization, and SMG members' business development, operations, project management and sustainability experience. The team's presentation impressed a panel of six judges from academia, government and industry who based their assessments on environmental benefit, creativity, execution and financial strategy, market and customer knowledge, and team strength.
Benjamin Smith (GSM'13) relished the opportunity to compete against outstanding teams and technologies from some of the nation's top academic institutions. "Not only were we able to develop a comprehensive and compelling business plan, but the competition gave us an opportunity to substantiate that plan with cleantech industry leaders," he observed. "It was an amazing experience."
Taking part in the competition reinforced Ryan Cruz's (ME'13) aspiration to pursue a career in the energy efficiency field. "I was able to learn more about the business side of engineering and aspects of building energy efficiency that I would not have normally been exposed to in the classroom," he said.
"It was a great learning experience for all the team members, and we're proud to get BU's name recognized at such a highly competitive event," said Gevelber (ME, MSE, SE). "We also had great mentoring from other BU faculty in both schools, and received support from BU's Office of Technology Development, Institute for Technology, Entrepreneurship and Commercialization (ITEC) and Sustainable Neighborhood Lab."
HVAC systems account for a large portion of energy use in mid- to large-sized buildings, and energy use and cost scales strongly with airflow. This is particularly true in older buildings designed when energy was much cheaper and HVAC systems were designed with high air flow rates. Based on concepts developed by Paul Gallagher (ME, MS'13) in his master's thesis, Aeolus aims to commercialize its software-based service that enables room-by-room measurement and optimization of airflow rates, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining thermal comfort and meeting ventilation requirements.
Invented by Gevelber, Wroblewski and Gallagher and now being patented by BU, the breakthrough technology uses existing, computer-based building automation systems to reduce large building HVAC energy consumption by up to 20 percent without equipment installation, intensive manual labor or long payback periods.
"What's amazing about our approach is that the system would take the same time to work on a building the size of Sargent College as it would for the Prudential Center," Gevelber explained.
Formed in 2007 to help develop a new generation of energy entrepreneurs and companies and sponsored by NSTAR and the U.S. Department of Energy, the MIT Clean Energy Prize offers awards in three categories—renewable energy, infrastructure and resources, and energy efficiency. The competition's $20,000 Energy Efficiency Track Prize is sponsored by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, which seeks to accelerate the success of clean energy technologies, companies and projects in the Commonwealth while creating high-quality jobs and long-term economic growth for the people of Massachusetts.
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